The present invention relates to an air duct sterilization system for sterilizing an air duct, and a device and method for producing the system.
Contamination of air ducts by biological contaminants, including mold, bacteria, and viruses, is a growing threat to a safety of public and private structures having air ducts. These biological contaminants are often airborne, and efforts to contain and neutralize them are critical for effectively combating a spread of a disease or a biological weapon. These efforts include regularly cleaning an air duct, and filtering an air inside the air duct. Cleaning the air duct is labor and cost-intensive, and filtering the air inside the air duct with an air filter increases a load on a forced air system pumping the air through the air duct, thereby decreasing energy efficiency and increasing cost.
Irradiating the air duct and the air therein with radiation, such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, is an effective approach to neutralize these contaminants. UV radiation ionizes and damages nucleic acids required for the contaminants to survive, reproduce, and maintain pathogenicity, thereby effectively neutralizing the contaminants with minimal intervention. However, traditional sources of UV radiation, such as mercury arc lamps, are often unsafe, require frequent maintenance and replacement, and are energy inefficient. UV light-emitting diodes (UV LEDs), a relatively new source of UV radiation, are safe, require minimal maintenance and replacement, and are energy efficient, making them an important improvement in UV technology. In addition, compared to disposal of mercury arc lamps, disposal of UV LEDs is environmentally friendly and cost-effective. A promising approach for an air duct sterilization system uld include using UV LEDs in the air duct. However, installing UV LEDs into new air ducts, as well as existing air ducts, is labor-intensive and cost-inefficient.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an air duct sterilization system, and a device and method for conveniently and efficiently producing the air duct sterilization system. The present invention addresses this unmet need.
Devices have been disclosed in the art that relate to air duct sterilization systems. These include systems that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices are often labor-intensive and cost-inefficient. In view of the systems disclosed in the art, it is submitted that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing air duct sterilization systems. In view of the present disclosure, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in structural and functional elements from devices in the art, and substantially fulfills an unmet need in the art.